Friday, March 23, 2012

The Powder-Blue Shirtdress (my first!)

I finally made a dress for myself after talking and daydreaming about it for a few years.

The fabric came from a king-sized Ralph Lauren sheet that I bought out of sheer love early in my married life.  We used it for a while until I became conscious that I didn't want to wear it out. So I put it in my cedar chest.  At one point, I was going to make a bedskirt out of it and started making lines on it with a Sharpie.  Thank goodness I stopped short.


The fabric is crisp and heavy.  The 10 buttons down the front were a bit pricey, so I used sparkly clear buttons at the cuffs. . . which I made up freestyle by looking at my husband's shirts.  The dress pattern (Simplicity 4171) had elbow-sleeves and I find them an awkward length for layering.  I have visions of layering this dress like a big shirt - over a skirt, under a skirt, under a cardi. . .

But for its debut, I just added turquoise earrings and brown boots. I have a red belt in the wings too.  And won't this look smart under a denim jacket? 

I admit that by the time I was done sewing this and fixing all the most obvious mistakes (a crooked belt loop, uneven cuffs, pinched collar facing, backwards lap of hem and facing), I hated the dress.  However, it fits me like a dream and that blue is so perfect.. . I'm coming around.

(thanks to my husband for the quick photo shoot after I came home from work)

10 comments:

  1. Love! Sweet and chic. The pattern is perfect and I love the fabric. Kudos on the thrifty use of sheets! You did a beautiful job on the sleeves...and the self-fabric belt makes it ; ) Such a great *first* dress! I'm inspired!

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  2. I love shirt dresses.. and this one is beautiful. I love the sheet and so proud you put it up and saved it.
    It looks fantastic on you.Happy sewing.

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  3. Cute! And the red belt should look great with it too!

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  4. This is BEAUTIFUL! I love the fabric, I love the finished product, I love the boots! It is so pretty. Well DONE.

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  5. Sorry. Hold on. Did you say this is your FIRST dress? Wow! By the time you make a couple more, you'll be a force to be reckoned with. You kinda already are. And yes, it will look DIVINE with a denim jacket.

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  6. Marianna, thank you! I should emphasize that I have been sewing for several years and I did make 2 little dresses for my daughter. The fitting is a lot more complicated on an adult, though.

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